Mega project on power line okayed

With a large number of power generation projects in progress, the government has taken up an initiative to set up a 45,000-kilometre power-line network to reach the benefit to rural areas by 2015.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved the Tk 5,413-crore project at its meeting in NEC Bhaban at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The project was taken up as part of the government's master plan to extend power coverage to every village by 2021, said a planning ministry statement.
According to planning ministry proposal, 18 lakh new consumers of 453 upazilas will have the requirement of 765 megawatt electricity through this distribution project. The Rural Electrification Board will install the connections through its 70 palli biddyut samities across the country.
The project also include 2,000-km 33kv new lines, rehabilitation of 500km existing lines, construction of one hundred 33/11 kv new sub-centres, and enhancement of the capacity of fifty 33/11 sub-centres.
The planning ministry proposal said around 2.5 lakh kilometres of new power lines will need to be installed to cover the whole country by 2021. The government has a plan to set up another 62,516-km network by 2015, the proposal further stated.
Currently, the country has a power network of 2.21 lakh kilometre in rural areas covering 84 lakh subscribers.
Ecnec yesterday approved another project (revised) aiming to meet the growing demand of electricity and reduce load shedding in Dhaka metropolitan area. The Tk 553-crore project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
Ecnec also approved six more projects involving Tk 467 crore yesterday. They are: Strengthening of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre project, Upazila Livestock Development Centre Establishment (3rd phase) project; Integrated Rural Employment Assistance for Poor Women project; Establishment of Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh (1st revised) Project; Upazila Governance project; and Construction of Nakla Bypass Road and 165 metre PC Girder Bridge over Chellakhali River project.
Ecnec members, including Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Planning Minister AK Khandker, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, and advisers of the prime minister, members of the planning commission, secretaries and officials concerned were present in yesterday's meeting.